Apparatus for reducing metallic compounds and producing carbids.



PATENTBD JULY 24, 1906.

B. F. PRICE. APPARATUS FOR REDUCING METALLIC COMPOUNDS AND PRODUCING OARBID APPLICATION FILED APR.4, 1904. RENEWED JAN.18, 1906.

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No. 826,744 PATENTE-D JULY 24, 1906. E. P. PRICE APPARATUS FOR REDUCING METALLIC COMPOUNDS-AND PRODUCING OARBIDS, APPLIGATION IIL'ED APR.4,'1904 RENEWEDJAN'. 1B, 1906.

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2 71 111 masses fill enter Jttjya.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR F. PRICE, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNION CARBIDE COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING METALLIC COMPOUNDS ANDPRODUCINGCARBIDS.

\ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1906.

' Application filed April 4, 1904. Renewed January 18. 1906. Serial No. 296,679.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR F. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York have invented certainnew and ratus for the production of calcium carbid by the use of an electric furnace.

The ap aratus comprises a preheatingchamber tlirough which the charge, usually a mixture of finely-divided lime and'coke, is showered downward. and wherein it subjected to the action of a flame and hotprodnets of combustion and an electric furnace in which the preheated material is collected or massed into a body and electrically heated to the requisite temperature. The preheating is preferably effected by-withdrawing the waste carbon monoxid from the electric furnace and burning it in the preheating-cham: ber. Other fuel, such as natural gas or oil, may be employed as a substitute for or adjunct to the carbon monoxid. I

The ap aratus may be of various forms. One who is effective for the purpose is shlpiwkrli in the accompanying drawings, in w c Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line IIof Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line II II of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 111 111 of Fig. 2.

.The electric furnace chosen for the purpose of illustration is of the well-known Horry type, comprising a wheel I, with removable cover-plates;2,-a air of electrodes 3, which depend into the c arge, and ahood4, inclosing the electrodes and rovided with feed-inlets for the charge an outlets for the waste gases.

I The up er end of the hood is closed by a h0rizontal plate'5,-within which is a coolingchamber 6', having pipes 7 8 for the introduction and discharge of water.- Each of the electrodes 3 consists of agroup ofcarbon rods, here shown as rectangular and four in numher, with theirupper ends secured in a socket 0r sockets in the lower end of a holder 9,

which passes loosely through an openin 10 in the plate 5. The space between'eac of the electrode-holders and. the wallsof the opening around it is filledby a luting '11 of refractory cement. The upper part of each electrode-holder contains a cooling-chamber 12, having pipes 13 14 for the introduction and discharge of water. sides of the plate 5 extend rectangular passages 15 for the introduction of the charge. Pipes 16 for the removal of the carbon monoxid and other gases extend upward through the plate 5 and are connected at their upper ends to burners 17, receiving. air-pi es.18, Which enter. 0 enings'in the sides of t lepreheating-cha n er. Thepreheating-chamber 19 is supported on the late 5, its wallsbeing in line with those oft e hood. Thiscfham- 'ber andthe hood have a lining l f ofifirebrick, preferabl of magnesia or sil'oxicon. The furnace-wal s may also lee lined with firebrick." The lower end of the preheatin chamberehas av transverse passage 20, Win51 is protected by a layer 20 of refractory material. The upper ends of the electrode-holders and the pipes for supplying and discharg ing water are arranged in this passage, which being open at its 'ends exposes these metallic I parts to the, cooling action of the atmosphere and gives ready access to..them. Ateach sideof the passage 20 are chutes 21 in line.

with the charging-openings 15 through the fcover plate. Slides22 of refractory I' na terial are arranged in these conduits to .regu- Auxiliary burners 23, supplied byv gaseous or liquid fuel from some external source pass' through the front and rear walls of the reheating-chamber. I The products of com ustion escape from the upper end of the chamber through a flue 24 and may be used in a Through oppositelate the delivery of the preheated material. 7

downward through the preheating-chamber against the hot products of combustion rising from the burners and collects in the lower part of the chamber. It is thence delivered into the electric furnace, as required, by withdrawing the slides 22 and massed or collected into a body around the electrodes 3. The

preheated material is readily converted into calcium carbid by an electric current passed between the electrodes.

I am aware that United States Patent No. 557,057, granted March 24, 1896, to Edward N. Dickerson discloses a process of producin a mufile which is heated externally.

I am also aware that United States Patent No. 656,599, granted August 21, 1900, to Reuben Doolittle describes a process of making carbids in which the char e falls downward througha vertical shaft etween burneis and then between a series of electrodes. In this case, however, a large number of electrodes is necessary to heat the charge to the requisite high temperature on account of the short period of time during which it is exposed to the action of each electric are as it alls through it. In my process the preheatgdparticles of the charge are collected into a 0 action of an electric current passed through the body usually in the form of an arc between the ends of electrodes extending into the charge.

While the apparatus has been specifically described in connection with the production of calcium carbid, it is obvious that it may be employed for various chemical and 'metallurgical operations in which finely-divided material must be heated to a high temperature.

The term relatively large body occurring-in the claims means the body produced by arrestin the downward movement of the falling particles of the shower until aconsiderable amount of the material accumulates in the region of the smelting zone, so that it can be subjected to the electric heating for a relatively considerable period. By collectin such considerable amount of material an surrounding the smelting zone therewith the heat imparted to the showered charge is retained in the material and the body of material surrounding the smelting zone serves to retain the heat developed by the electric current. The term divided materials is intended to mean ground, ulverized, comminuted, granular, and simi ar materials.

y and are then efiiciently heated by the I claim- 1. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the material by showering it through a hot at mosphere, means for collecting the showered particles into a relatively large body, and means for electrically heating said body to the required temperature, as set forth.

2'. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the material by showering it through a hot atmosphere, means for collecting the showered particles into a relatively lar e body, means or electrically heating said %ody to the required temperature, and means for removing the product and supplying fresh materials as required, as set forth.

3. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the material by showering it throu h a hot atmosphere, means for coilecting the showered particles into a-relatively large body, and an electric furnace adapted to heat said body to the required temperature and to maintain the smelting zone or re ion of highest temperature within said bo y, as set forth.

4. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the material by showering it through a hot atmosphere, means for' collecting the showered particles into a reiativel large body, an electric furnace adapted to eat said body to the required temperature and to maintain the smelting zone or re ion of highest temperature within said b0 y, and means for removing the product from the electric furnace and supplying fresh materials as required, as set fort 5. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the material by showering it throu h a hot atmosphere, means for collecting t e showered particles into a relatively large body, and an electric furnace adapted to heat said body to the required temperature by an electric are orarcs maintained within the body, as set forth. g

6. An apparatus for smelting divided material's, comprising means for preheating the material by showering it through a hot atmosphere, means for collecting the showered particles into a relativel large body, an electric furnace adapted to l ieat said body to the required temperature by an electric arc or arcs maintained within the body, and means for removing the product from the electric furnace and suppl ing fresh materials as required, as set fortli.

7. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the charge by showerin it throng a hot atmosphere, means for collecting the showered particles into a relatively large body, and an elec tric furnace adapted to heat said body to the required temperature by means of electrodes scenes the ends of which are embedded in said body, as set forth.

8. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the charge by showering it through a hot atmosphere, means for collecting the showered particles into a relatively large body, an electric furnace adapted to heat said bod to the reuired temperature by means of electrodes t e ends of which are embedded in said body, and means for removing the product from the electric furnace and supplying fresh materials as required, as set forth.

9-. apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the charge by showerin it through a hot atmosphere, means for col ecting the showered articles into a relatively large body, an an electric furnace adapted to heat said body to the required temperature by an electric are or arcs by means of electrodes the ends of which are embedded in said body, as set forth. I

10. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the charge by showerin it through a hot atmosphere, means for col ecting the showered particles into a relatively large body, an electric furnace adapted to heat said body to the required temperature by an electric are or arcs by means of electrodes the ends of which are embedded in said body, and means for removing the product from the electric furnace and supplying fresh materials as required, as set forth.

1 1. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the material by showering it throu h a hot atmosphere, means for collecting t e showered articles into a relatively large body, means or electrically heating said body to the required temperature, and means for rotating and thereby removing the product from the heating zone, as set forth.

12. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the charge by showering it through a hot atmosphere, means for collecting the showered par ticles into a relatively large body, an electric furnace adapted to heat said body to the required temperature by an electric are or arcs by means of electrodes the ends of which are embedded in said body, and means for rotating and thereby removing the product from the heating zone, as set forth.

13. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the charge by showering it through a hot atmosphere, means for collecting the showered particles into a relatively large body, an electric furnace for heating said bod to the required temperature, and means or burning the waste gases from the electric furnace to furnish the preheating atmosphere, as set forth.

14. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising means for preheating the charge by showering it through a hot atmosphere, means for collecting the showered particles into a relatively large body, an electric furnace adapted to heat said body to the required temperature and to maintain the smelting zone or region of highest temperature within said body, and means for burning the waste gases from the electric furnace to furnish the preheating atmosphere, as set forth.

15. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising an electric furnace, a hood extending down into the upper end of said furnace, and apreheating-chamber opening into said hood, as set forth.

16. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising an electric furnace havin a revoluble body, a hood depending into said body, an electrode or electrodes in said hood, and a preheating-chamber opening into said hood, as set forth.

17. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising an electric furnace, a hood extending into said furnace, a preheatingchamber openin into said hood, and a gasconduit leading "rom said hood into said pre heating-chamber, as set forth.

18. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising an electric furnace having a revoluble body, a hood depending into said body, an electrode or electrodes in said hood, a preheating-chamber openin into said hood, and a gas-conduit leading from said hood into said preheating-chamber, as set forth.

1 9. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising an electric furnace, an

electrode or electrodes extending into said furnace, a preheating-chamber for supplying material to said furnace, a gas-collecting chamber surrounding said electrode or electrodes, and a conduit leading from said gasco llecting chamber into said preheatingchamber, as set forth.

20. An apparatus for smelting divided materials, comprising an electric furnace, a hood extending into said furnace, at preheatingchamber opening into said hood, said chamber having a transverse passage, an electrode or electrodes extending through said hood, and electrode connections in said passage, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR F. PRICE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. BILLINGS, F. B.-OCoNNoR.

IIO 

